Welcome! The Department of Surgery of the Mercer University School of Medicine is dedicated to education and patient care in the field of general surgery, with a foundation in evidence-based surgical practice and a spirit of academic excellence. The department began as a residency in general surgery at the Medical Center of Central Georgia (MCCG) in 1958 under the direction of Milford B. Hatcher, M.D., who became the first Chairman of the Department of Surgery when the Mercer University School of Medicine (MUSM) was organized in 1984. The department was fortunate in having two illustrious leaders in American surgery following Dr. Hatcher as Chair. Will C. Sealy, M.D., the originator of arrhythmia surgery while at the Duke University Medical Center, came to Mercer as Chair from 1984-1991, and as Professor until his retirement in 2000. Martin L. Dalton, Jr., M.D., succeeded Dr. Sealy as Chair serving until 2007. At the University of Mississippi with James D. Hardy, M.D., Dr. Dalton was on the first team to perform a lung transplant in the world. He continues to serve the department as Professor of Surgery and Dean of the Mercer University School of Medicine. In July 2007 I was honored to succeed Dr. Dalton as Chair and Program Director. The department has the following goals: · To train general surgeons who are technically superb and have mastered the six ACGME Core Competencies; · To be active in basic science and clinical research; · To provide a high level of educational services and opportunities through MCCG and MUSM; · To provide high quality clinical surgical services to the central and southern Georgia regions. The General Surgery Residency received approval in 2006 for four categorical surgical residents in each year. With our second class of four categorical surgical residents starting this summer, we have seventeen categorical surgical residents presently. Six of our current residents are members of Alpha Omega Alpha. Progress in the residency is monitored through the annual American Board of Surgery In-Training Examination. The average score for all residents for the past five years is at or above the 54th percentile. The passage rate of the Qualifying Examinations and Certifying Examinations for the American Board of Surgery is 79% for the Qualifying Examination and 73% for the Certifying Examination. Nearly all residents who want a surgical sub-specialty training have been able to win a fellowship in a field of their choice. Those residents who decide to practice general surgery have had similar success. Continuing a tradition of excellence in post graduate surgical training is a major educational priority for the department. Zhongbiao Wang, Ph.D., leads the departmental research effort. The major focus of our research laboratory are the vascular cellular responses to injury and inflammation. Of particular interests are the intracellular signaling pathways involved. Our residents and faculty have published ten basic research papers over the past year, demonstrating the laboratory's productivity. The residents and faculty are academically productive. In the past year there have been 23 publications in peer-reviewed journals and 39 presentations at major surgical meetings. The Level 1 Trauma Center at MCCG is fully designated by the Georgia State Office of EMS and Trauma, and is among the busiest in the state. Dennis Ashley, M.D., and Julie Wynne, M.D., will offer a fellowship in critical care, taking full advantage of trauma-critical care facilities at MCCG. Review Committee (RC) approval is anticipated, with a site visit scheduled in September 2007. Bruce Innes, M.D., is the Clerkship Director for the third and fourth year MUSM students. The junior clerkship is eight weeks in length, and receives consistently excellent to outstanding ratings. Pediatric surgery, my own specialty, is an important priority to MCCG program development. Our recruitment for two additional pediatric surgeons is in progress, to bring the total number of pediatric surgeons in the department to four. The Children's Hospital at MCCG provides a full range of pediatric subspecialties, including a 12-bed pediatric intensive care unit, and a 35-bed neonatal intensive care unit. The foundation of the department is excellence in clinical care. Macram Ayoub, M.D., Vice Chair of the Department of Surgery, and William "Kim" Thompson, M.D., Associate Chair for Surgical Education, lead two of the four surgical services in the residency. Educational programs are supported by an excellent group of private surgeons, all of whom are general surgeons and surgical subspecialists, and all of whom have clinical appointments in the department. Macon is a lovely city of 90,000, and the medical catchment area is nearly one million. Atlanta is a safe but accessible 75 miles away, with its big-city attractions, traffic and congestion. Cost of living in Macon is very modest (cost of living index 55; average 100). July and August are hot, but the spring and fall seasons are long and the winters are mild. Macon boasts a sophisticated array of small-city activities including the Cherry Blossom Festival in March, the Georgia State Fair in September, and an attractive historical area. Local museums include the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, Georgia Sports Hall of Fame, the Museum of Arts and Sciences and the Tubman African American Museum. Our neighborhoods are attractive and feature a number of historical buildings. Favorite activities among the students and residents include golf, hunting, fishing, and Georgia football. I am happy that you are exploring our website and seeing what the Department of Surgery of Mercer University School of Medicine, and the Medical Center of Central Georgia and Macon have to offer. For information please call or write: Ms. Sheryl E. Nipper, Administrative/Residency Coordinator, 777 Hemlock Street, HB 140, Macon, Georgia 31201. Office: (478) 633-1367, Fax: (478) 633-5153 or email address: nipper.sheryl@mccg.org. |
Don K. Nakayama, M.D., M.B.A.
Chair, Department of Surgery
|
